Cochlear implants are underutilized, particularly in rural areas where patients face delays due to distance from specialists, but telemedicine offers a potential solution.
A pilot study tested telemedicine for cochlear implant evaluations, involving both participants with normal hearing and those with varying degrees of hearing loss, comparing in-person assessments with remote testing.
Results showed minimal differences in most tests between methods, indicating telemedicine could be a viable option, but further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness for a larger group of cochlear implant candidates.